(Of course I have just "borrowed" Xena and Gabrielle, had them over
for a visit, you might say.
They actually belong to Ren Pic and Universal Studios. They were returned after
this little
adventure, completely unharmed....unless you count Xena's unease about what her
Bard
might be up to.)

Some unexpected events happen when Xena sets up a little surprise for Gabrielle.
Even the
Warrior Princess gets caught off guard!

Surprise!!

By Bard of Meta

It was early...very early...but Gabrielle was aware of a slight chill at her
back where a warm
warrior body should be.. Xena had managed to creep out of the bedroll without
waking her....again.
"What in Tartrus is she doing?" Gabrielle mused.. Not that it was unusual
for Xena to get up early
and do a little sword practice and running. It was her way of keeping in top
form. A very satisfied
smirk lingered on Gabrielle's lips as she thought about what top form Xena had
been in last night.
But lately, there had been something else, something just a little off. Pushing
her curiosity to the
back of her mind, Gabrielle stretched, winced a bit at a sore spot, and decided
it was time to get
breakfast started. If there was one thing she knew, Xena would be hungry when
she returned,
especially in recent days..

The sun was beginning to spill into the little glade, warming the air and
waking birds to their
morning song. Gabrielle finished her mug of tea, and was just brewing another
when she realized
Xena was back. Gods, she moved quietly! Even so, Gabrielle was aware Xena had
paused a
moment beside Argo's saddlebags. Slipping something in? When she turned her head,
Xena was
coming toward her with a smile on her face.

"Morning. What's up for breakfast? I could just about eat a horse..." A
snort from Argo's
direction.... "Not you, Argo! I don't eat my friends." She sauntered
over to the campfire, sniffing
at the good odors wafting on the cool morning air. "Mint tea.....and is
that some of last night's rabbit
stew? I thought we ate it all."

"Not quite all of it. I had to add a couple of things, but yup...rabbit
stew." Gabrielle grinned to
herself. She had learned long ago to set back part of the evening meal, since
she really needed
breakfast to face the day. Especially some of the days they had. Their life on
the road was usually
adventurous. That thought brought another smile.

"Funny you should ask that," Gabrielle shot back, a gleam in her
green eyes. Before she could follow
up on the opening, Xena ladled stew into her wooden bowl, sampled it and rolled
her eyes. "What's
wrong with the stew?" Gabrielle demanded.

"Not one single thing! It's wonderful! What did you add to this, any
way?" Xena licked her lips and
took another bite.

"I found a few fresh mushrooms and a couple of wild onions. You've had
them in stew before."
Gabrielle observed.

"Must have found some special mushrooms, then, because this is great.
Here, you try some." Xena
picked up Gabrielle's bowl and tipped in the rest of the stew. Handing the bowl
to her, Xena
returned to her own helping..

Distracted for the moment, Gabrielle tasted the stew, and admittedly, it did
taste better than last
night's version. Maybe she should gather the rest of those mushrooms she had
found and save them
for tonight's fare...whatever that might be.

Xena watched her partner closely to see if she had successfully changed the
line of thinking. It
seemed to have worked for the moment. "Let's get things packed up and hit
the road, huh? I want
to see a man in Polonius this evening. If we don't run into trouble along the
way, we should make
it."

Gabrielle cocked her head at an angle, her eyes slitting in thought. "See
a man in Polonius, eh?
Why haven't I heard about this before?"

"Uh....slipped my mind, I guess. You sure I didn't mention it back at
Andros?" Xena asked, her blue
eyes wide and innocent.

Gabrielle decided to let it slide for the moment, but she knew perfectly well
when the Warrior
Princess put on that guileless expression, something was most definitely up. "Huh!
I don't think so."
she answered. She finished up the stew, quickly cleaned the bowls and mugs, then
put out the
campfire. In moments she had gathered up their few belongings, packed them and
handed the bundle
to Xena to tie onto Argo. "Well, I'm ready....are you?" she challenged.
No need to hunt up more
mushrooms for supper if they were going to be in Polonius tonight. She firmly
made up her mind
to sleep in a bed and let someone else do the cooking.

The day went better than most. They only encountered two groups of road bandits
that
thought taking what little they had was better than honest work. The survivors
of those
encounters rethought their attitude very carefully while healing their assorted
cuts, bruises
and broken bones.

The sun had started it's evening decent as Xena and Gabrielle approached Polonius.
They
paused on a slight rise, looking down into the busy village. Gabrielle noted
where the
market area was located for later investigation. Xena pointed out a fairly large
inn as their
destination for the night. Gabrielle sighed in satisfaction. No wheedling, no
argument was
needed. They would enjoy a hot bath and a soft bed this night.

As they approached the End of Day inn, Xena nodded her head toward the stables,
saying,
"I'll get Argo settled in. Why don't you get our room while I do that?"

Gabrielle angled toward the inn, mentally counting how many dinars they had
and what
they could afford to pay. The inn was about what she had come to expect, but
cleaner
than most. There was a small group of village folk at a far table, drinking ale
and
apparently planning something. The discuss was lively, but friendly.

She spotted what looked like the innkeeper and walked toward him. "Excuse
me? Who
do I see about a room?"

The man was large, with a shaggy pile of grey hair and a warm smile. "Yes,
miss. I'm the
very person you want, then. What do ye need?"

"Good. Let's get settled in." Xena picked up the saddlebags and
followed Gabrielle up the
stairs to the room the innkeeper had indicated. It was a large room, with a corner
fireplace
and two windows affording views of two different streets. "Pretty nice,
alright," Xena
admitted. She put the saddlebags on the bed and prowled to the windows to check
out
what could be seen. "You'll like this one," she called to Gabrielle. "I
can see the market
right down the street."

"Oh, really?" Gabrielle moved to stand beside Xena, slipping her
arm around the warrior's
waist. "Mmmm...so it is. First thing in the morning, I'm going to restock
our supplies." She
leaned her head against Xena's shoulder. "But for now, I have better things
planned."

Xena wrapped an arm around Gabrielle's shoulders and dropped a kiss on top
of her head.
"And just what would these 'better' things be?"

"That's a nice start..." Green eyes looked up into Xena's face,
a certain intensity flickering
in them. "First, a bath. I can almost feel the dust and scuz crawling around
on my skin."

A quick hug, then Xena released Gabrielle and headed toward the door. "I'll
see about
hurrying along that bath, right now," she promised, a delighted smile on
her face. She
quickly wiped the grin off as she went out the door and closed it behind her.

Gabrielle sat on the edge of the bed, thoughtfully sorting through what she
needed from
the saddle bags and laying them out. A small frown was on her face as she tried
once
more to ferret out what was bothering her. Something was just....different. Nothing
big,
but several small things. Xena was being secretive about something, and Gabrielle
found
it annoying she couldn't pin down what it was.

Moments later there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Gabrielle
responded. The door
swung open to reveal two gangling boys, each with two buckets of steaming water.
They
went to a small, almost hidden alcove, and drew back the curtains to reveal a
large tub.
They poured the hot water into the tub and went back down stairs for more. Shortly,
the
tub was filled and steaming in an inviting manner. Gabrielle could stand it no
longer, she
stripped off her travel clothes and stepped into the water. It was perfect. Sinking
down,
she found a comfortable place to rest with only her head sticking out. A profound
sigh
escaped her as she surrendered to the sheer pleasure of warmth and comfort.

A few moments later Gabrielle's peaceful relaxation was disturbed by the barest
of sounds.
She listened intently, but heard nothing more for several heartbeats, then another
faint
scuffling, as of leather scraping against a wall. She glanced around nervously.
Her sais
were on the bed, along with her clothing. Leaning in the corner of her alcove
was a broom
with a heavy handle. Quietly, she wrapped one hand around the broom handle, while
listening for more clues to what was going on. A whisper of sound and shadow
moving
gave her enough information to see where the attack was
coming from.

Gabrielle whipped the broom around to impact the person coming around the
corner. To
her surprise, the broom was grabbed before hitting the intruder. Surging up from
the tub,
Gabrielle grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled for all she was worth.
Nearly half
the water in the tub was sloshed out by the surprised Warrior Princess as she
found herself
draped across the edge, more or less face down in the water, with a horrified
Gabrielle
standing over her with an upraised broom.

"XENA!! For Gia's sake, what are you DOING?" Gabrielle demanded. "You
nearly scared
me to death there." She hastily leaned the drenched broom back in it's corner.

With a sheepish expression, Xena stood up and tried to regain her dignity
while standing
in an ever spreading pool of water. "Uh.....I brought you some lavender
oil....for the
bath....you like the stuff, remember?"

"Oh, yes.....I LIKE lavender oil, but why the 'stealth attack'?"

Normally, warriors do not scuff their boots on the floor, but Xena looked
like she really
wanted to at this time. "I wanted to surprise you...." she finally
answered.

"HUH! I think we both got a surprise on that one." Gabrielle settled
back into what was left
of the water and gazed at Xena with a speculative expression. That soon broke
up into an
impish grin. "You're soaked anyhow. Why not get out of those wet clothes
and take your
bath while we still have a little warm water left."

Xena thought this was a great idea, since her surprise idea had gone so badly.
May be
they could get on to less embarrassing things. "Be right with you," She
quickly stripped off
the armor, leathers and under garments, hanging them on various things to drip
dry. As
she slid into the tub with Gabrielle, she triumphantly held up a small vial. "AND
the
lavender oil!"

Without a word, Gabrielle gently removed the vial, set it down outside the
tub, and
proceeded to kiss her Warrior Princess so thoroughly it actually seemed to warm
up the
water again.

It was nearly a candlemark later that the two lovers lay tangled in the blankets,
taking a rest
from their activities. A long, sustained rumble from Gabrielle's midsection reminded
her
they had missed supper. A really good supper at that. "Hera's Tits!" she
exclaimed.

A crystal blue eye opened slowly to see what the problem was.

"We missed supper," Gabrielle lamented. "They were going to
have roast boar and
everything....." She sighed, then rolled her head to look at Xena. By now
the other eye
was open, and she could see a glint of mischief there. "What?"

"You want that now....or later?" Xena asked lazily. She couldn't
keep from grinning at
Gabrielle as her eyes widened.

"Now would be fine, but what are you talking about?"

"Oh, I dropped by the kitchen and had them hold two extra large helpings
for later." Xena
reached over and patted Gabrielle's belly. "I know you have to keep 'the
monster' fed."

"Ummmm...yes, but if it's as good as it smelled cooking, I'm betting
a few dinars you can
tuck a bit of it away too." Gabrielle teased back.

"Naturally. I need my strength to keep up with your ...er...other appetites!" Xena
shot back.
That got her a resounding smack on the hip. "If you're going to be that
way about it, think
I'll go have them send up the meal. You might want to get decent before the scullery
maid
gets here." She rose gracefully from the bed, chose a minimum of clothing,
and set off
to make good her promise of supper.

Gabrielle lay a few moments longer, thinking about several things, then realized
she better
hurry or be caught in the buff. By the time Xena returned with the girl from
the kitchen,
both laden with good smelling platters of food, Gabrielle was in a decent shift
to open the
door.

A short time later, Gabrielle leaned back in her chair and just relaxed. A
good meal, a hot
bath, a lovely romp.... She looked at Xena from under lowered lashes, studying
her as she
finished up one last scrap of the roast boar. Aw....to Hades with it....she was
full, happy,
and ready for a good night's sleep on that nice soft bed. Time enough to worry
about this
little puzzle another day. "Coming?" she asked, as she headed for the
bed.

Xena wiped her fingers on a cloth and stood. "Yep. It's been a long day
and that bed does
look good."

They settled into comfortable positions, wrapped around each other and were
soon asleep.

*********************************************

Strange sounds woke Gabrielle this morning. People walking by, talking, carts
creaking,
dogs barking. The sun was well up. She rolled over, and with no surprise, found
Xena was
already up and gone. 'Huh! Why should it be any different here?' she wondered
to herself.
She got dressed, wandered down to see about some breakfast and inquired of the
inn
keeper if he knew where he partner had gone.

"Oh, her....tall, lovely and lethal? She asked how to find Lorath. I
be giving her directions,
but that's all. She left over a candlemark ago." he informed her.

Oh, great. She thanked the inn keeper, and decided to do the shopping she
had in mind.
There were several small things she needed, including some spices and dried meat.
Thinking over her list of supplies, she made her way to the market area. It took
quite a
while to find everything she needed, and then of course, there was the haggling
to be
done. Satisfied that she finally had every needed item, she wandered around,
simply
looking at things and talking to people. A familiar, rather pungent smell caught
her
attention. She looked around, and saw a small house tucked back against a massive
wall.
The smell, and many others, were coming from there. A sign indicated this was
the place
of the healer, Lorath. 'A healer?' Gabrielle thought. 'Why would Xena need a
healer? Is
something wrong with her?' She made up her mind this time there would be some
answers
to the questions.

When Gabrielle returned to the inn, she found Xena in their room, re-packing
their saddle
bags. "Are we leaving already?"

"Naw, but I was looking for something and messed things up. You wouldn't
know where
my sharpening stone got to, would you?" Xena put the saddle bags on a peg.

Gabrielle shot her a suspicious glance. Xena never lost her sharpening stone. "Last
time
I saw it was two nights ago. You touched up your sword after those encounters
with
bandits. It should be in that little pouch right back of the saddle." How
many times had
that Hades-be-damned pouch rubbed a raw spot on her thigh when she rode with
Xena?
Countless times! Why would Xena put it any place else?

"Oh!" Xena glanced away. "Well, I better check the saddle then.
If I need a new stone,
we should get it before leaving town."

"How did your meeting with Lorath go?" Gabrielle asked sweetly.

Both of Xena's eyebrows twitched, but she maintained a calm look. "Interesting
guy. I'm
going back this afternoon." With that, she strode purposefully out the room,
down the
stairs, and was out of sight by the time Gabrielle reached the door.

"Bu...but....." she sputtered. "Xena, ya gotta sit still some
time, and we are gonna talk."
she muttered to herself. A passing guest glanced at her inquiringly, but made
no comment.

Gabrielle went back inside their room, got down one of the saddle bags, and
neatly packed
away most of the supplies she had bought this morning. While she was at it, she
carefully
inspected both bags, but found nothing unusual. By now, her curiosity was rambling
through all sorts of possibilities.

Her mind made up, she put the bags away, and headed down the stairs. Xena
had left
only a few minutes ago, she should be able to catch her in the stables. However,
when
she arrived at the stables, she found Argo happily munching on oats, but no sign
of Xena.

Gabrielle patted Argo, then checked the saddle. As she had suspected, there
was the
pouch, stone inside, in it's usual place. She went back to pet Argo, and leaning
against the
golden horse, asked quietly, "Do you know what is going on here, girl?" A
soft snort and
nuzzle was all the answer she got to her question. "Oh, you're a great help!" She
straightened up and headed back to the market. Somehow, she had a feeling this
was one
time Xena wasn't shunning the shops and stalls. And especially, one small healing
place.

Gabrielle's determination to find out what was going on was so focused by
now, she
passed all the alluring shops and their wares. Straight to the healer's small
house, with no
glance to be spared at goods or people. When she arrived, she paused a moment,
took
a deep breath and walked in. No one seemed to be there, so Gabrielle wandered
around
for a moment or so, looking at all the interesting bunches of herbs, mysterious
bottles with
various colored contents, and listened intently for any sound from the back.

Finally, a withered old woman with white hair shuffled out and peered at Gabrielle. "What
could I be doing for you, missy?" she asked.

"Are you Lorath?" Gabrielle asked.

"Nay, nay, he be my grandson." the old woman answered. "He's
gone on a bit of business
now, but if you need something...." she looked the blond woman over carefully...."Like
a
love potion, or scented oils, I can help you."

"Um, no, I don't need anything like that. Have you seen a warrior woman,
tall, black hair,
beautiful blue eyes, leather..... has anyone like that been here?" Gabrielle
waited for an
answer.

Again the old woman looked her over carefully, then grinned, showing a remarkable
lack
of teeth, "Why, yes I have. Lorath took her out to show her something. They
won't be
back for a while yet.."

"Show her something? What was he going to show her?" Gabrielle was
rapidly becoming
exasperated with the lack of information available.

An even longer pause as the old woman looked more carefully at Gabrielle.,
Then she
asked, "Would you be Gabrielle, the Battling Bard of Potadiea?"

Gabrielle had expected almost anything except that question. Cautiously, she
answered,
"Well, I guess some have called me that. Why?"

"Oh, just wondered if I had the pleasure of actually seeing you. And
you scribe all those
scrolls about travels and adventures with Xena, the Warrior Princess? My, my,
you be
living an exciting life. Will you be telling tales at any of the inns here? I
would make it a
point to come and listen if you are." Excitement sparkled in the old woman's
eyes..

Nearly blushing with the implied praise, Gabrielle gently told the old woman
that no such
plans had been made. "Actually, we are just passing through. We'll probably
be back on
the road by tomorrow morning."

A look of disappointment crossed the withered features, but then a smile. "Nay,
I think
your stay will be a bit longer than that. If you change your mind about entertaining
at the
inns, let me know. I really would like to hear your stories."

Puzzled, Gabrielle let it pass, asking instead, "Did your grandson say
when he would be
back?"

"Not exactly. He must confer with some of the others, you know. Maybe
by supper, would
be my guess," the old woman said.

"Well, thank you for your time. Maybe I'll see you again before we leave." Gabrielle
said
as she turned to leave the shop. There was a noisy argument going on outside,
but she
thought she heard the old woman mutter, 'Oh that you will, my pretty bard, that
you will.'
More peculiar all the time.

With no more information to be found at the healer's house, Gabrielle wandered
through
the busy market place once more. This time she enjoyed the sights and sounds,
the smell
of wonderful things cooking...which reminded her, a noonday meal might be a good
idea.
She stood a moment sniffing
the air, then followed the most interesting smells to their source. Ah, an assortment
of food
and drink to choose from.

Later, with the inner person satisfied, Gabrielle continued her stroll through
Polonius,
following winding streets and looking at homes of obviously well off people.
It seemed the
town was prosperous. On her way back to the End of Day inn, she found a public
well and
a number of people visiting and gossiping. Next to the well was a large board
with notices
posted. She stopped to see what was going on, and noticed one hand illustrated
notice
of a special event tomorrow. There were to be contests and races, with a special
guest
appearance and demonstration of exotic combat skills as the last event of the
day. 'I
wonder if Xena would want to stay and see that,' she mused to herself. She continued
back to the inn, where she intended to stay until Xena showed up.

More than two candle marks later, Xena returned to their room to find the
bard deeply
engrossed in catching up writing in her scrolls. With a final flourish of her
pen, Gabrielle
laid her writing equipment down and sat looking at Xena.

Xena sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off her boots, then leaned back
against the
head of the bed. Feeling the bard's gaze on her, she turned her head to find
a pair of
green eyes boring into her. "What?"

"Xena....? Are you feeling ill? Is there something wrong and you aren't
telling me?"

Concern and worry could be heard in her voice, but mostly, Xena noticed a
determined air.
:"No, I feel fine, perfectly normal. Why?"

"Then why are you consulting with a healer? You aren't pregnant again,
are you? How did
it happen this time....and this better be good, because Warrior Princess, I've
been with you
all the time!" Gabrielle was working up a head of steam, and dangerous glints
were
flashing in her eyes.

"Ares' Farts, Gabrielle!!! Where did you get a crazy notion like that?" Xena's
eyes were
wide with shock. She knew Gabrielle was getting suspicious of the little surprise
she had
lined up, but this was a direction she had not anticipated..

(To be continued)

Gabrielle simply gazed at Xena silently for a long moment, then ticked off
on her fingers:
"You get up even earlier than usual, your appetite is about twice usual,
you are being
secretive, you suddenly hunt up a healer, not once, but twice...." She looked
at the four
fingers held before her. "I would say somewhere in there is reason to wonder
what the
Hades is going on. So give, Warrior Princess! I want to know what you are up
to!"

Xena knew that expression all too well. The Bard was in full question mode,
and not about
to be deflected by half-truths or mis-direction. And she couldn't out and out
lie to her. Not
.....now, after all the problems they had with that in the past. A sigh escaped
her as she
motioned Gabrielle to come and sit on the bed with her. "It's none of the
things your bardly
imagination is coming up with. C'mon, I'll explain." She patted the bed
beside her.

Gabrielle sat stiffly, waiting for the promised explanation. Xena reached
out a long arm
and curled it around the bard's shoulders, gently pulling her against her side.

"I'm not sure where to start, or even when to start.....but I want you
to know how proud of
you I am....on many levels." Xena nuzzled the blond hair, distracted for
a moment. "One
of your outstanding accomplishments, I think, is how you handle those sais. You
can
defend, attack, choose to only disarm, or kill if necessary. You've become very
good with
them."

A slight blush rose in Gabrielle's cheeks at this frank admiration from Xena.
The Warrior
Princess was not much in the habit of praise. "Um.... o.k., but what does
that have to do
with coming to Polonius, or seeing a healer, or anything else?"

An even deeper sigh, then Xena looked at Gabrielle with a serious expression. "You're
ruining the surprise, you know."

"Surprise? Surprise!! Everything going on lately is a surprise. So what
am I missing so
far?"

"Well, I was talking to an acquaintance back in Andros, that told me
about the events they
hold in Polonius. They have races, wrestling, swordsmanship matches, for entertainment.
They even have a small arena built here, rather, sort of a half-arena. I sent
word of a
specialty exotic combat exhibit....."

"Wait!!! I saw something about that near the market. You signed up to
do an exhibit??"
Gabrielle broke in.

"No," Xena answered drily, "I signed YOU up, with me as an
assistant. Most people in
these parts have never seen sais, let alone how they're used. There now, there
is no more
surprise."

"You signed me.....you...you're an assistant....XENA! Are you out of
your mind? How is
this supposed to work anyhow?" Gabrielle was so flustered at the entire
idea she didn't
know where to begin.

A satisfied smirk curled around Xena's lips at the confusion on the bard's
face. "As for
those early morning forays, I had a matching set of sais made and have been practicing
like a demon with them so I can hold my own with you. I have no intention of
coming out
of this like a skewered chicken"

The vision of a 'skewered chicken 'with Xena's features invoked in Gabrielle's
mind made
her snort, then chuckle. "And the healer?"

"Let's just say, there's a man who wins no matter what. He's part of
the bunch that
promotes these things, and as a healer, he is right there to take care of injuries
during the
events. Nice arrangement, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh, very cozy indeed!" Gabrielle agreed. "And you thought
all this was necessary
because....?"

"Because not only are you a great bard, but I can think of no one I would
rather have
beside me when things get tight. I wanted people to meet 'The Battling Bard'
I know. And
because...." Xena's eyes softened as she looked into the green eyes of her
soulmate,
"Because I love you." she finished.

Gabrielle was motionless as she absorbed this new information, then snuggled
close and
whispered, "YOU are the sneakiest, most underhanded, wonderful person in
the world!
And, I love you too." She considered for a moment more, then asked brightly, "Does
this
mean I get to beat you publicly?"

A snort bounced her head from it's rest on Xena's breast. "Not if I can
help it!" Xena
looked down lovingly, "I have my reputation to uphold. How would it look
if a short,
admittedly cute little blonde, publically humiliated me? Besides, this is just
for show." A sly
grin on her face, Xena added the final bit of the surprise. "Of course,
we also get paid...."

Gabrielle sat straight up. "We get PAID?? I thought you said I already
knew all of the
surprise." She mock-glared for a heartbeat or two, then settled back into
the interrupted
cuddle.

"Well, you certainly do know it all now," Xena soothed. "So
much for me trying to surprise
you."

"You're sure? No more little facts that slipped your mind?" Gabrielle
poked at a
convenient rib.

"Hey! Cut that out!" the warrior protested. "Yes....I'm sure.
Absolutely no more surprises
of any kind"

"Hmmmm...you rather I poke you with my sais?" Green eyes peeked
up with mischief
dancing in their depths.

Quite some time later the pair made their way downstairs in search of supper.
The hour
was late, and the scullery maid was putting pans and dishes away when she became
aware of two pairs of eyes hopefully following her movements.

Xena cleared her throat and asked politely, "Any chance of getting something
to eat, or
have the locals cleaned up everything?"

"Uh...why, I could manage some cold cuts, maybe some cheese. Oh...and
there were
some strawberries brought in late this evening." the maid stammered..

Two pairs of eyes brightened at the news. "That would be just about perfect," Gabrielle
assured her. "Can we help put it together? I bet you have a family waiting
for you at
home."

A nervous smile from the maid told Gabrielle she had guessed right.

Soon a tempting platter was arranged, and Xena and Gabrielle gleefully headed
back
upstairs, after leaving a dinar with the maid for her effort.

Back in their room, the two attacked the platter with gusto. "Look who's
always poking fun
at me and my appetite," Gabrielle teased., as she watched Xena tuck away
yet another
slab of cheese.

"Don't forget, we have to put on a show tomorrow....a good one!" Xena
reminded her.

"Uh-huh. You never did say what they were paying us for this little display," Gabrielle
reminded
her.

"Oh, didn't I? Lorath said they would give us 25 dinars, and pay for
our supper and lodging
that night.. Not bad, considering I didn't have to 'haggle' to get it." Xena
quirked an
eyebrow at Gabrielle.

Gabrielle had a distant look on her face as she considered three whole nights
in a nice
room, in a real bed, with someone else cooking. "Um....not bad at all," she
agreed..

Bright sunlight poked in through a window, bounced off a bit of polished armor,
and smacked Gabrielle right in the eye. She stirred, surprised to find she still
had
a bed companion this late in the morning. Turning her head away from the glare,
she looked up into amused blue eyes regarding her. "Ummmm.....what?" She
murmured.

"Oh, just admiring how you wake up," Xena replied. She placed a
gentle kiss on
her bard's forehead, then stretched. "You do take your time about it...." she
teased.
"OOOF!"

"Enough fun and games for now, my bard. We need to do a little preparation
for
our sais exhibit this evening," Xena drawled. She rolled up and off the
bed in one
fluid motion, grabbed her gear and claimed the chair to sit and dress before
Gabrielle had a chance to protest.
Gabrielle found a comfortable position and simply admired the view. That past
time ended abruptly when Xena pegged her clothing right into her face.

"C'mon sleepyhead," Xena mock-growled. "YOU are the prime attraction.
Can't
put on a sais display without you. Move!" She finished fastening her boots
and
stood up. " I'll get some breakfast sent up, you dress."

"What?? And miss the morning show?" Gabrielle stretched languorously,
then
arched her back.

With a wicked grin, Xena answered, "Nah! I'll catch the late show instead." She
stood and headed for the door. "Be right back...."

"Centaur farts!" Gabrielle muttered, then scrambled to get dressed
before Xena
returned. When she said, 'Be right back...' she usually meant it. A very short
time
later the door swung open to reveal Xena carrying a covered platter that smelled
wonderfully of fresh baked bread, and a large pot with a cloth wrapped around
it.

At Gabrielle's questioning look, Xena put the platter on the table and rummaged
their mugs out of a saddle bag. "Hot tea, local blend," she explained
as she poured
the steaming brew into their mugs. "And fresh berries, some meat, and bread
straight from the oven."

Without a word, Gabrielle chose a handful of berries and a gently steaming
piece
of bread. "Mmmmmmm...good!"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A contented silence settled over the room as the two concentrated on breakfast.
Finally,
the last morsel was eaten.

"Now, what can we rig up for costumes?" Xena finally said.

"Costumes?" Gabrielle questioned. "Why do we need costumes?"

Xena looked her soulmate up and down speculatively. "It's supposed to
be an 'exotic'
weapons exhibit, remember?"

"Oh!" You think we should dress the part. I see," Gabrielle
responded. "Mmmm, we
travel pretty light, not much to work with in the saddle bags."

"Yeah. Guess you'll have to go shopping in the market," Xena suggested
with a grin.

"Nope. I know just where to go. There's this little stall about two streets
down from the
healer's that should fix us up just fine." Gabrielle developed a small smirk
of her own at
the expression on Xena's face. "What? You thought I just sat in the room
all the time you
were out working up your surprise? Not hardly."

Xena swept up the tray and now empty tea jug and headed for the door. "C'mon.
We can
drop these off at the kitchen on the way out." Gabrielle hurried to keep
up.

Only minutes later they were at the stall Gabrielle had in mind. There was
a wild
assortment of colorful cloth, strange jewelry, and mysterious objects. Gabrielle
held up a
brilliantly orange bit of material and looked speculatively at Xena. "This
would contrast
nicely with your dark hair and blue eyes.

Xena eyed the bit of finery with doubt. "And that would go where, exactly?"

Gabrielle walked around Xena and finally draped the strip of material diagonally
across her
and tied it off at the waist with a thin silk cord. "Mmmm.....not bad for
a start. Now, if we
were to use those blue pantaloons with this.... yeah, I think it might work."

Xena blew out a soft snort, reminding herself that she had set this thing
up in the first
place. Then an emerald green top caught her eye. "And THIS would work nicely
with
your eyes and coloring," she purred, holding the shirt up to Gabrielle.
The green of the
shirt seemed to make Gabrielle's eyes flash in response. Just then she spotted
a golden
yellow pair of pantaloons. "And this would complete the effect!" she
pronounced.

Gabrielle cocked her head and looked at Xena curiously. "When did you
develop such a
dramatic flair?" she questioned.

A soft smile curled around Xena's lips. "Just remembering how you looked
in some of the
things you wore in India. Besides, we need to look 'exotic'. I haven't seen anything
like this walking
around the streets of Polonius. Have you?"

Gabrielle had to admit Xena was right on that one.

"One more thing." Xena reached out a long arm and collected a string
of purple beads
hanging from overhead. "Here." She wound the beads around Gabrielle's
neck several
times, then arranged them to drape attractively. "There. That should do
it."

Gabrielle fingered the beads, then looked up at Xena. "Now, how do we
pay for all this?"

"Trust me," Xena said confidently. She stepped closer to the owner
of the stall and spoke intensely
to him in a low voice. He looked startled, then a bit wary, but started nodding
his head while staring
at the tall, beautiful warrior that looked down at him.

"C'mon, we're set. Now we need to get in some practice with the sais
before tonight." Xena headed
purposefully down the street, leaving the bewildered Gabrielle to hurry to catch
up to her long steps.

"Hold it just a minute there, Warrior Princess! What went on back there?
Why didn't we have to
pay any money?" Gabrielle demanded.

Xena slowed only slightly as she answered. "I made a deal. We get to
use the materials for tonight's
special show, return them, and pay a 'usage fee', extra if anything is damaged.
He gets to show them
off as part of the show. We get paid tonight, and this way we don't have to pack
extra stuff. C'mon,
we can use the area behind the stables to practice."

When they arrived at the holding area behind the stables, no one was in sight.
Xena ducked into the
stall where Argo was enjoying a portion of oats, and grabbed a cloth-wrapped
bundle. When she
unwrapped the bundle, two gleaming sais, exact matches to those Gabrielle carried,
were brought
into view.

Gabrielle ran her finger lightly along the length of one, wondering how Xena
had managed to pull
off this part of the surprise. She had no idea when there had been an opportunity
to have them made.
"Nice," she commented.

Xena and Gabrielle had held practice drills over the years with many different
weapons. It had
started with staff practice, then sword maneuvers. Gabrielle had picked up on
using a whip quickly
and proficiently. This was the first time they had worked with sais.

"We can start out easy to get the feel of it," Xena said. "But
it shouldn't be much of a problem.
We've fought together, and practiced together long enough to expect what moves
will be made."

Within a candle mark they were at full speed, sais flashing in the sun, the
soft slithering sound of
metal on metal as attacks were countered. Almost as if at a signal, they both
stepped back for a
breather. "I think we've practiced enough. We keep this up, there won't
be any energy left for the
show tonight," Xena quipped, as she mopped away sweat trying to dribble
into her eyes.

"Speak for yourself, Princess! I'm just getting warmed up." Gabrielle
taunted, then jumped back,
where Xena pinned her to the side of the stable. "Hey!" she exclaimed,
then quieted as soft lips
found hers and all she could focus on was her soulmate and the love she felt
surrounding her.

"Ummmm... you talked me into it," Gabrielle responded, wrapping
her arms around Xena's waist and
snuggling against the tall warrior's body. They walked slowly back to the inn.

Once again the large wooden tub was filled with hot water, while the two boys
grumbled
about 'foolish women washing all the time' as they left. Xena cocked an eyebrow
as she
closed the door behind them. "Wonder what their problem is. They get paid.."

Gabrielle had already shed her boots and was pulling off the rest of her clothing. "You
have nothing
better to do than wonder about those boys?" she asked in a husky voice.

The tone in that question pulled Xena's attention to the bard. "Now that
you mention it..." she
drawled in a low growl. "C'mere..." They stood molded together enjoying
a most satisfying kiss.
A long breathless moment later, Xena scooped up her bard and deposited her gently
on the bed, there
to pay loving and detailed attention to the woman she loved. By the time the
lovers got around to
their bath, the water in the tub was nearly as cold as some of the lakes they
swam in while traveling.

Evening seemed to come quickly, the sun sliding toward the western mountains.
Many of the
townspeople were at the arena already, watching some of the early events. Xena
and Gabrielle were
waved into the contestant's entrance when they arrived. Once inside, they were
shown a cramped,
dark room to use as a change area. They pulled their finery out of the saddle
bag where they had
been packed and checked each other carefully to be sure every thing was in place.
That done, they
simply waited.

The sounds of the crowd grew louder, taunts and jeers for the losers, cheering
for the
victors, as the evening wore on. Finally, a scrawny lad of perhaps eight summers
poked
his head around the open doorway and grinned at the restless women. "You're
up next!
Exotic weapons combat. They're announcing the event now." His message delivered,
the
boy scampered down the dim passage and disappeared around a corner.

Xena headed toward the door, a gleam in her eyes. "Let's go show the
locals how a couple of girls
can fight!" There was a grin on her lips as she anticipated the excitement
ahead.

Gabrielle shook out her arms to loosen up, made one last adjustment to the
pantaloons
and the purple beads, then followed Xena toward the swelling sounds of the crowd.

A large man with a barrel chest was on the platform, bellowing, "For
your enjoyment, we
have a specialty event tonight. Presenting Gabrielle, the Battling Bard of Potadiea
and her
companion, Xena, of Amphipolis. These ladies will demonstrate the use of fighting
sais.
This unusual weapon from India can be used in a surprising number of ways, which
will be
well shown tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, Gabrielle and Xena!!" With that,
he bowed
toward the pair, then turned and disappeared through a draped doorway.

For a moment, Gabrielle and Xena just stood and looked out over the crowd.
It seemed
everyone in town must be there. Then they faced each other, gave an arm clasp,
and fell
back several feet. Almost in perfect unison, they drew their sais and started
the weaving,
stalking approach they had practiced that afternoon. The sais were constantly
moving,
darting toward the other person, catching the blades and turning aside the thrusts.
Gradually,
the pace picked up.

Xena's longer reach seemed to give her the advantage, but Gabrielle was quick
and
evasive, often dropping below Xena's advances. Without warning, Xena took a long
forward step and launched into a somersault over Gabrielle's head. Gabrielle
dropped and
spun in place to be facing where Xena would land. She probed with both sais in
what
would have been a devastatingly savage attack against anyone but the Warrior
Princess.
Xena parried the attack and was ready to launch another leap when something not
quite
right grabbed her attention. Gabrielle nearly nailed her at that moment, until
she, too,
realized there was something going on besides their little show.

Xena had seen the gleam of a sword being wielded near the main entrance. Even
above the sounds
of the crowd, she could hear a muffled scream as the sword was thrust home. "Quick!!
Grab on!"
Xena ordered, then crouched and tensed for a huge leap. She landed half way up
an aisle, Gabrielle
released her grip on the Warrior Princess, and they both charged toward the main
entrance. Anyone
that got in the way was rudely shoved aside.

The small room beside the entrance was supposedly a 'strong room' where dinars
and prizes were
kept for the games. It was a killing area when Xena and Gabrielle arrived. Several
people were on
the floor, dead or badly wounded. At least eight rough looking men, well armored
and holding
bloody swords, were scooping up anything worth stealing.

"If you wanted to play, you should have asked for an invitation," Xena
purred. "Now you've made
me mad." With her blood-curdling war cry, the Warrior Princess waded into
battle. Two of the
bolder thieves made a move to get behind Xena, only to find themselves facing
a blond, green-eyed
demon that seemed to somehow surround them and hit from more than one direction
at once. Within
seconds, one had a serious stab wound in his thigh, the other a huge knot over
one eye. Both were
on the floor, completely out of the battle.

Meanwhile, Xena had 'persuaded' three of the thugs to 'go to sleep' with several
well placed kicks
and elbow punches, but two of the more bull-headed ones would not cooperate.
Xena gave up
trying to be nice about it, leaped over their heads and skewered them, abruptly
ending the conflict.

By now the more alert people in the arena realized what was happening and
came swarming in to
help. None was needed.

"By the Gods!" one City Elder exclaimed. "You've got them all!
You really do know how to use
those sais!"

Xena rolled her eyes and started to turn to Gabrielle, just to make sure she
was unharmed. A slight
movement near the door brought her to full alert again when she realized the
leader of this bloody
bunch of robbers was trying to slide out into the crowd. Once out there, it would
be impossible to
catch him.

In one smooth motion Xena flung both of her sais at the figure. There were
four distinct thuds, and
the culprit looked shocked to find both his arms and his legs pinned to the wall
by still quivering
sais. Xena glanced to her right to find Gabrielle had reached exactly the same
conclusion, and acted
upon it. They grinned at each other.

"Nice throw, Gabrielle," Xena commented.

"You too," Gabrielle responded. "Just how much have you been
practicing with the sais?"

"Enough." was the brief answer.

From that point on, conversation became impossible as news of what had happened
spread
throughout the crowd.. Everyone seemed determined to get a look at the carnage,
and especially at
the two pretty ladies that had stopped a very clever robbery dead in its tracks.

To Xena's relief, local officials finally arrived to cart away the wounded
and the prisoners, then
started to maintain some crowd control. When she saw an opening, she hastily
grabbled Gabrielle's
arm and escaped down one of the numerous passageways, away from the nearly hysterical
crowd.

After turning several times through the confusing maze, Xena found the room
where their things
were. They recovered their own clothing and started to change.

"Uh-oh!" Gabrielle exclaimed. She held up the yellow pantaloons,
to reveal a splash of blood and
a rip down one leg.

Xena was instantly at her side. "Let me see! How bad is it?" She
peered at the smooth unbroken
skin of the bard's legs.

"Not me, Xena! The pantaloons are damaged and blood stained. We'll have
to pay for them now."
Gabrielle lamented.

"If I had to choose between paying a healer or paying a shop keeper,
it would be the shop keeper
every time," Xena remarked dryly. "We'll deal with it."

Gabrielle glanced uncertainly at her partner. "How? I doubt we will get
paid for a half-finished
demonstration. And no, we don't have enough dinars to cover both our lodgings
and the useage and
damage to this clothing." She looked more closely at Xena's outfit. "I
see yours looks some worse
for wear too."

Xena glanced down at the now somewhat ragged orange "sash" Gabrielle
had arranged on her. It
did look hard used. Several tears marred the material. "Hm. I see what you
mean."

"Ahem." came a discrete cough from the doorway. Gabrielle stepped
behind Xena to finish fastening
her skirt in place. Lorath hesitated, bemused by the glimpse of lovely female
flesh he had just seen,
then forced his mind back to business. "The City Elders asked me to extend
the following invitation.
Polonius would be most honored if you would remain as guests of the city for
a seven-day. And my
group was wondering if you might be interested in doing a re-staging of tonight's
events? Without
the blood shed, of course. Sort of a combination of exotic weapons exhibit and
an action play of the
robbery attempt. We feel it would be well attended." He waited hopefully
for an answer.

Xena and Gabrielle stared at each other. A nearly imperceptible shrug of the
bard allowed it was
Xena's choice Xena .faked a smile and answered, "We'll take your offer under
consideration.
However, we're passing through Polonius on our way to a very important meeting
and can't stay
long." She started to turn, but realized Lorath was holding out a small
leather bag that jingled in a
pleasing manner.

"Your fee, doubled, in gratitude for the service you have rendered. I
will wait for word on your
decision." Lorath bowed, then left the two standing with eyes round in wonder.

"Did he say DOUBLE our fee?" Gabrielle gasped. "Let me see
that!" She took the leather bag and
hefted it expertly in one hand. "Sweet Aphrodite!! That is certainly more
than 25 dinars in there!"
She looked at Xena excitedly. "We can pay for the costumes. We're covered
on the lodgings!
Sweet!"

"I'm happy you're so pleased, but it's time to get out of here and back
to our room. I have a feeling
we might not get any sleep at all if we get caught up in the festivities." Xena's
keen hearing had
picked up on a chant that barely made it through the twisting passageways.....
'Gab-ri-elle...Xe-na!!!
We want Gab-ri-elle and Xe-na!'

They gathered up the now sorry-looking finery and their saddlebags, then picked
their way through
the maze of passageways away from the sound of the crowd. Xena filled her lungs
with the cool
night air as they finally worked clear of the arena. "Glad that's over.
I'm thinking a very early start
in the morning might be a good idea."

"To attend that 'very important meeting'?" Gabrielle quipped.. "Was
that the best you could do?"

One eyebrow quirked upward as Xena regarded her soulmate. "You're the
bard of this team...why
didn't YOU come up with something?"

"You didn't ask." was the saucy reply as Gabrielle angled toward
a short cut to the End O'Day Inn
through the market place. "Coming?"

Xena blew out a sigh, and followed. Their path took them past the stall where
they had selected
their 'costumes' for the event. To their surprise, the fellow was still there,
just closing up.

"I thought you would be at the games," Xena observed.

"Oh, no...no.. The games bring out customers. I wouldn't want to miss
those." The stall keeper
glanced up, then straightened up from packing his goods away. "Oh! It's
you two!" A broad smile
lit up his face. " I heard what happened at the arena. My, my, such excitement!"

Xena frowned, wondering how the news had traveled so quickly to the market.
They must have fast
runners posted at the arena or something.

Reluctantly, Gabrielle pulled the hard-used clothing out of a saddle bag. "I'm
afraid we ruined your
merchandise. How much do we owe on these?"

"Owe? Oh....nothing, nothing. I do want to put them on display. Mmmmm.....
you wouldn't know
which, er... bandit's blood this is, would you?" The merchant held the material
up to best display
the gory splash.

"Um...nooo.....it was rather busy there at the time," Gabrielle
answered, her blond eyebrows climbing
upward. "Does it make a difference?"

"Makes a better tale to tell the customers," the merchant assured
her. "Never mind. Just the fact that
I have the clothing worn by the 'Battling Bard' while she defeated 20 men will
be an exciting
addition to my display. Oh, the others will be so jealous!"

Gabrielle's eyebrows had by now disappeared completely behind her blond bangs. "Uh....well
if you
say so." She finally responded.

Xena barely suppressed a snicker at that fascinating bit of news.

"Anything else I can do for you ladies? Anything at all?"

Xena stepped forward, gently clasped Gabrielle's arm and answered, "No,
thanks very much, but we
have to go now." With that she firmly steered the bard toward the inn.

Slipping in a side door to the inn, Xena motioned Gabrielle up the stairs,
while she quietly made her
way to the kitchen. By now several of the cooks were acquainted with the tall
warrior woman that
seemed to know her way around a kitchen.

A florid-faced woman named Janzee saw Xena and smiled. "Worked up an
appetite over at the
arena, did you now?" She wiped her hands on a rag. "Borrin said you
were to have what ever you
wanted, the best! So what will it be?"

"Well, we just need some food sent up to the room. I think we had enough
excitement for the day.
Whatever is on the menu tonight will be fine." Xena answered quietly. She
could hear the excited
buzz from the front of the inn.

"I'll be fixing it meself!" Janzee declared. "Is it true? Were
there fifty of the bandits and you
captured them all?"

"Nah! Only about a dozen, and some won't be bothering good folks like
you again. Now, how soon
can you have that food ready?" Xena answered, feeling foolish to even allow
that much expansion
on the truth.

"Give me half a candle mark and I'll be bringing it up meself. You run
along now dearie, go get
some rest! I'll see you in a bit," Janzee made shoo'ing motions with her
hands, then turned to start
the promised platter of food.
Moments later Xena entered their room to find Gabrielle busy on a scroll.

Gabrielle glanced up, then returned to her work on the scroll. "I thought
I should get some of the
more important parts of this written down," she explained.

"Don't forget to mention those 20 blood-thirsty villains you pounded
into a pulp." Xena teased.

"Huh! As if! Where do these people get their information? I counted eight
of them, right?"
Gabrielle complained.

"Oh it gets worse....downstairs they say we took out 50 bandits. Funny
how rumors blow things up,
isn't it?" Xena yawned, then started to shed her armor and leathers, and
stretched out on the bed.
She was content to relax and listen to the soothing sounds of Gabrielle's pen
scratching over
parchment. A low rumble sounded across the room. Without opening her eyes, Xena
smiled and
said, "Supper will be here shortly. Tell the beast to be patient." She
was pelted with a scroll case
before Gabrielle resumed her writing.

True to her promise, Janzee softly tapped on their door within the half candle
mark.

Gabrielle opened the door to find Janzee and the young scullery maid laden
with enough food and
drink for half an army. She stepped back, startled. "Um....we can't possibly
eat all that," she
protested.

"Be that as it may, Janzee chuckled, "Eat what you like. I be told
by Borrin, and now Lorath, both,
the best is none too good for these warrior women." She started laying out
the feast on the one table
in the room. It nearly groaned with the weight. "Now if you want for anything,
just be letting me
know."

The scullery maid cast an admiring glance at the pair, then closed the door
behind them, leaving
Xena and Gabrielle to deal with the situation.

"What in Tartrus are we going to do with all this food?" Gabrielle
asked, picking out an especially
tempting morsel.

Xena stood a moment, contemplating the bounty they had somehow collected. "Well,
first we eat
until we are full," she chose a large slab of fresh bread and an assortment
of meats. "Then anything
that will travel, we pack and take with us."

"Always practical, aren't you?" her soulmate remarked. She started
looking at foods that would keep
on the road. "Meanwhile, we can eat ourselves into oblivion."

"Mmmph. Yea, and I won't have to hunt supper for a day or two. Would
you pass that wine skin?
It looks interesting."

Some time later, stuffed beyond all reason, the pair sat back and stared at
the still impressive amount
of food. "Gods!" Gabrielle groaned, "What do they think we are.....
a pair of starving cyclops?"
An un-ladylike burp escaped her. "Sorry."

"S'alright.....ya might explode if you don't relieve the pressure. Where
do you put all that food
anyhow Shortstuff??" Xena teased with a twinkle in her blue eyes.

"Soon as I can move, you'll pay for that!" the bard threatened.

"Uh-huh!" Xena grinned at her. "You and what army? Better save
your strength, we leave before
first light."

"I've been thinking about that. Don't you think we should at least leave
word for the City Council
and Lorath? It's not very nice to simply vanish on them." Gabrielle yawned
and eyed the bed
longingly. What she really wanted at this moment was to sink into that bed's
softness and cuddle
up to Xena while Morphus took her to the land of dreams.

"Yeah, point taken. You gonna do the bard thing and leave a note?" Xena
asked hopefully?

A huge sigh escaped Gabrielle. "The things I do to save your sorry butt!
O.K., I'll come up with
some brilliantly important reason why we had to leave all this hospitality behind.
But you'll have
to hand me a fresh scroll and my pen," she bargained..

A few moments later two short notes had been composed, one for the City Council,
the other for
Lorath. "There! I'm more than ready for bed. You??"

"Me too." Xena gathered up the remaining cheeses, one large hunk
of smoked meat, and some hard
rolls. After debating a moment, she included two of the wine skins. "Might
as well have a little
comfort on the road, right?" She wrapped the food in a clean cloth and packed
the bundle in the top
of one saddle bag.

That done, she reached a long arm down to Gabrielle and pulled her up from
her chair. "C'mon, let's
get one more good night's sleep from this bed."

The bard came willingly, curling one arm around Xena's waist as they moved
toward the bed.
Clothing shed, they both crawled wearily into bed and surrendered to its soft
embrace. Silence
settled over the room as they snuggled comfortably together.

"Xena?"

"Mmmm....whaaaat?" was the drowsy response.

"You promised! No more surprises...right??" the bard persisted.

"Uh. Yesssss. What's your point?"

"I would say there were quite a few more surprises that happened after
that promise. Right?"

"I guess so. Couldn't help it, not my fault.....now go to sleep," was
the rather grumpy reply.

"Well, just for the next couple of days, can you see to it there are
no more surprises coming our
way?" Gabrielle asked plaintively.

"Ummmph....I'll see what I can do. Why?"

"'Cause I need a little quiet time to work up a surprise or two for you.
It's only fair," Gabrielle
kissed a handy shoulder and snuggled down for the night.

She didn't see Xena's eyes pop wide open as she considered what Gabrielle
had just said.
'Gods....what am I in for now?' Xena thought. She lay there worrying about the
possibilities until
finally, the events of the day caught up with her, and she slept.